This is L.o.v.e. like it should be

XV. Friendly dinner

One more dinner. Ava used to love to go out to eat. Phoebe had taken her out to her favorite restaurant but it did little to improve Ava's mood.

Ava just kept moving the food on her plate. She was feeling anxious and had a knot in her stomach because she couldn't stop thinking about what Paul had asked her in her previous session.

"Was he ever a partner to me?", she asked herself over and over again. "He did listen to me... Sometimes. He wiped my tears once in a while. I think he tried to prove he cared. But still..."

That remaining "but still" kept creeping back to her mind. She sighed, ignoring Phoebe's judging eyes. "...but still he was different, distant. Why? What happened...?", she kept thinking.

"Ava?", Phoebe tried to call her back to the real world.

"Phoebe!", Ava replied, pretending nothing was going on.

"You're in your head again. Isn't that shrink helping you?"

"No, Phoebe. He is, I'm just upset."

"With what?"

Ava sighed. There was one more thing on her mind and maybe Phoebe could help her. Although, Ava wasn't ready to admit Julien wasn't a part of her life anymore. It still hurt, and it hurt so badly.

"Come on, girl. Let me help."

Hearing Phoebe offering to help, brought some comfort to Ava's heart. She played with the food for a bit more and suddenly, words just came out: "Why would a guy be strolling with a new girl on a street just by his previous girlfriend's work place?"

"That's a tricky question", she answered.

"Why tricky?"

"Girl, you know men don't think with their heads. At least not with the one between their shoulders, the only functional head they have is between their legs. This being said, he would probably be trying to assert dominance or some macho crap like that."

"I'm confused", Ava looked worried, as her heart started thumping.

"Well, it can be one of two options. First option, he was making sure his previous girl knew she was already replaced by another and he is happier than ever. Which means somehow the previous girlfriend hurt his ego and he is just acting like an asshole. Second option, he is just immature and does his little parade with another girl trying to cause a reaction. Probably because he is too weak to just go and knock at her door to have a serious talk."

"Isn't there a third option?", Ava asked. It just couldn't be any of those options Phoebe said. "Couldn't she just be a cousin or a friend? And maybe he was there just because he missed his previous girlfriend?"

"Ah! I thought you were less naïve hun. Come on, was this cousin good looking? Because if she was, I bet you she was no cousin, just his next lay! No matter the option, he is just kind of a dick."

"It can't be...", Ava said in a clear tone, looking apprehensive, as her feelings of anxiety became that annoying and overwhelming pressure in her heart.

"I'm sorry hun. Was this about a friend? Sometimes I'm just too abrupt with words. I should be a bit more delicate."

"It's okay. The food is getting cold. We should eat", Ava tried to keep a flat voice, looking at her plate in quiet despair. She would have to force herself to eat so she could pretending and not let Phoebe know she was in pain. Ava was just seeing a shrink, because she had a falling out with a coworker. It was just punishment for that argument, not a way to vent because she was feeling miserable. And because of this innocent girl talk, she was feeling even worse.